Actress Lynn Redgrave dies at 67

(News Terupdate) - Actress Lynn Redgrave died Sunday after a seven-year battle with breast cancer, according to her family.

Redgrave, 67, was surrounded by her children at her Connecticut home when she died, the family said in a statement Monday morning.

The star of stage, film and television was twice nominated for an Academy Award: for best actress in 1966 for her role in "Georgy Girl" and for best supporting actress in the 1998 film "Gods and Monsters."

"She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before," the family said. "The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time," the statement said.

Redgrave is from "a family of actors, embracing as it does more than five generations," she wrote on her official website.

She is the younger sister of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the aunt of the late actress Natasha Richardson.

Her parents, Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, were British stage and film actors.

Her paternal grandparents, Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore, were stage and silent film actors.

Redgrave teamed with daughter Annabel Clark in 2004 to produce the book "Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery from Breast Cancer."

"I thought I was living very fully before this happened," she said in 2005. "But in comparison, no, I really wasn't. I wasn't taking the time to notice things. I didn't see things as brightly or as sharply or as memorably as I do now.

"I really don't let a moment slide by. I just don't. It's a big price to pay, isn't it, to have to have cancer to learn that? But it is in the end, I have to say, a price worth paying," Redgrave said.

Redgrave's professional acting debut was in 1962 at London's Royal Court Theatre in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." A year later, she was invited to join Britain's National Theatre for its inaugural season under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, according to her personal biography.

Her first film performance came in "Tom Jones," a 1963 movie co-starring Albert Finney and her mother.

Redgrave's "Georgy Girl" role three years later, opposite James Mason, earned her a best actress Golden Globe and the Academy Award best actress nomination. Her portrayal of a wisecracking young woman was a box office hit.

Other early film roles included "The National Health," "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex," "The Happy Hooker" and "Getting It Right."

Redgrave enjoyed a revitalized film career late in life. She won a second Golden Globe and her second Oscar nomination for her comedic role in "Gods and Monsters."

She continued to make movies despite her illness, including her last film role in "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which hit theaters a year ago.

Redgrave debuted on Broadway in 1967 in "Black Comedy." The first of three Tony nominations came in 1976 for "Mrs. Warren's Profession." She was nominated again for her Broadway roles in "Shakespeare for My Father" in 1993 and "The Constant Wife" in 2005.

She teamed with her sister Vanessa Redgrave on the London stage in "Three Sisters" in 1991.

The sisters worked together the same year in a television version of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"

Her three Emmy nominations all came for TV work in the 1980s, including an episode of "House Calls" in 1981, "The Shooting Company" in 1982 and "Walking on Air" in 1987.

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Jenna Jameson says she wants Tito Ortiz back

Los Angeles, California (News Terupdate) - Former porn star Jenna Jameson said she wants to get back with Tito Ortiz four days after things got "tragically out of hand" and he was arrested on a domestic violence charge.

But the couple's reconciliation "is irrelevant" to the prosecution of Ortiz since it is the state of California, not Jameson, who filed the charge against the mixed martial artist, a police spokesman said.

A restraining order prevents Ortiz and Jameson from reuniting immediately.

Ortiz, 35, was arrested at his Huntington Beach, California, home Monday morning when Jameson's father called police as the couple argued.

"By calling the police, my father was trying to defuse a private issue between two people," Jameson said in a written statement Friday.

Ortiz and his lawyer told reporters later Monday that he was upset because he thought Jameson had relapsed in her rehabilitation from a prescription drug addiction.

Jameson, 36, was captured by cameras alternately saying Ortiz was "the sweetest, most amazing man" and later saying that he had beaten her.

"Unfortunately, what actually happened has now been dramatically distorted and misinterpreted and remarks that both Tito and I made after the police arrived reflect the state of shock that we were both in," Jameson said Friday.

Now, she says she wants him back in her life.

"He's a fantastic father and I'm confident we can work through this challenge," she said.

While Ortiz and his lawyer did not immediately respond to calls for comment, the former Ultimate Fighting champ made it clear Monday night that he wanted her back.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as Ortiz listened to his lawyer talk to reporters.

"They have two children together," attorney Chip Matthews said. "They have planned on spending their lives together and they want nothing more than to work together."

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How Sandra Bullock kept a baby a secret

(News Terupdate) - Sandra Bullock has Oscar-winning talent, but it took more than just being a good actress to keep the adoption of her infant son private for months -- especially when the paparazzi started swarming following allegations of marital discord.

Bullock, fresh from a laudatory awards season, managed to not only keep herself removed from the public eye, but to also shield her son, Louis, from the spotlight as well. It wasn't until People magazine revealed her adoption story Wednesday that anyone outside of Bullock's inner circle knew the big news.

"Sandra really relied on a network of very close friends and very close family members to keep her secret," explained People magazine's senior editor David Caplan. "The baby arrived during the height of the awards season [in January], and she even said that her trusted makeup artist was wondering why [she] needed so much concealer under her eyes, because she was tired."

In order to pull that off, Caplan said Bullock had to employ some CIA-style tactics to maintain her covert operation, using car decoys to take Louis to the doctor, and not letting anyone in her house.

"Regardless of whether or not she was seen with the baby, there wasn't even buzz about the fact that she had the baby," Caplan said. "It was her ability to a) hide [him] from visible sight, and b) the ability to keep this information private, because she had the baby before the scandal broke."

This scenario makes it clear that Bullock's team wasn't swayed by potential lucrative offers, said New York Daily News entertainment reporter Joanna Molloy.

"The only way Sandra Bullock could have pulled this off is that she obviously has a few very trusted, loyal, close friends -- a rarity in Hollywood where celebrities are often surrounded mostly by people who either work for them, or want something out of them," Molloy said. "All of the folks in Sandra's tight circle obviously love her and are loyal enough to her that, in keeping her secret, they took a pass on the possibility of making at least six figures on a story like this which certain magazines and British publications are willing to pay."

Even with the tough logistics, it makes sense that Bullock would want to keep her adoption under wraps, said Eileen Koch, head of entertainment PR firm Eileen Koch & Company, because Sandra "was never seeking publicity for anything except her work."

Bullock is already widely admired, and her decision to stay mum will only increase the respect fans have for her, Molloy said.

"She wanted to keep the baby a secret after she was nominated for the best actress Oscar because she 'didn't want him to be part of all that,' " Molloy said. "There are plenty of actresses who would have wanted Academy voters to see them with an adopted baby just to get the good PR, and consequently, votes. Everybody knows the voting process isn't just about the performance anymore. But in this case it was."

While some celebrities may be accused of being dishonest when a big secret is revealed, it was entirely different for Bullock, Caplan said. "Everyone completely understands why she kept a secret; they're sympathetic and supportive," he said.

Koch for one isn't surprised. Fans have been so supportive of Bullock because her husband's alleged infidelity has overshadowed her recent career triumph.

"That's why everyone is behind her, because he ruined the two most important things in her life: the baby and the Academy Awards," she explained. "She couldn't have that moment -- she couldn't totally have the happiness of everything."

If the timing seems just too good to be true -- revealing a brand new baby at the same time news of her divorce from Jesse James makes headlines -- remember that Bullock has had to keep a low profile, and telling everyone will give her more freedom, Caplan said.

"She wants everyone to know the secret because she wants to move on," he said. "She wants to live a normal life."

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Sandra Bullock files for divorce

(News Terupdate) - Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock has filed for divorce from Jesse James in a Texas court, saying their marriage "has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities."

Bullock, 45, and James, 41, separated soon after she won the best actress Academy Award in March amid tabloid reports of his marital infidelity.

Austin, Texas -- where Bullock owns businesses -- is a "much better jurisdiction for her" to file in than California because the Texas judge is allowed to consider 20 factors, including cheating, when dividing assets, said family law attorney Diane Reul.

California's community property law provides for a 50-50 split, she said.

James, in a statement given to People magazine, said the divorce filing "has left a huge hole in my heart."

"Sandy is the love of my life, but considering the pain and devastation I have caused her, it would be selfish to not let her go," he said.

The divorce petition, filed Friday in Travis County, Texas, District Court, gave few details about the 5-year-old marriage's troubles.

"The marriage between petitioner and respondent has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectations of reconciliation," the petition said.

The petition does not refer to the son Bullock recently acknowledged that she adopted.

She told People magazine that she adopted Louis Bardo Bullock, and infant born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in January.

James addressed the adoption in his statement to People.

"The decision to let my wife end our marriage, and continue the adoption of Louis on her own, has been the hardest," he said. "The love I have for Louis cannot be put to words. Not having him around to love and to hold has left a huge hole in my heart."

The filing hinted that there is agreement between Bullock and James on some issues already.

"Petitioner believed that petitioner and respondent will enter into an agreement for the division of their estate," it said.

"My guess is under the table, they're cutting a deal," Reul said.

Bullock's filing said James -- a motorcycle designer and reality TV star from Long Beach, California -- already agreed that the divorce would be handled in Texas.

"We still might see paperwork come through where he is disputing that," Reul said.

Bullock, a Virginia native, opened a restaurant, bakery and floral shop in the Sixth Street tourist area of downtown Austin. She's also been quoted by an Austin newspaper in recent years saying the city is her "real home."

Texas has no state income tax, which makes property ownership a key way to show residency, Reul said.

Bullock's petition, filed without using their names, was titled: "In the matter of the marriage of B.A.S. and J.J.G." Those letters are their initials in reverse.

While the Bullock-James separation has given journalists plenty to write about in recent weeks, the divorce may be quieter, Reul said.

Texas law allows for attorneys to keep what is said in depositions and interrogatory filings out of the public case file at the courthouse, she said: "They exchange them privately."

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Sandra Bullock becomes a mom

(News Terupdate) - In public, Sandra Bullock has been through the best and worst of times this year -- from winning her first Oscar to enduring the breakup of her marriage.

In private, she was quietly keeping a joyful secret -- his name is Louis, and he is her newborn son.

"He's just perfect, I can't even describe him any other way," Bullock reveals exclusively in the new issue of PEOPLE, announcing that she is the proud mother of Louis Bardo Bullock, a 3½-month-old boy, born in New Orleans. "It's like he's always been a part of our lives."

Bullock, 45, and husband Jesse James, 41, began the adoption process four years ago and brought Louis home in January but decided to keep the news to themselves until after the Oscars. Their close friends and family -- including James's children Sunny, 6, Jesse Jr., 12, and Chandler, 15 -- were essential in keeping the adoption a secret.

Then, just 10 days after the March 7 Oscars, Bullock and James separated following reports James had cheated. Bullock says she is now adopting as a single parent.

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Graham's exit puts climate change bill in limbo

Washington (News Terupdate) - A climate-change bill that was scheduled to be unveiled at a news conference Monday is now up in the air after Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina walked out of talks.

Graham had worked with Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, independent from Connecticut, to unveil details of their "tri-partisan" climate-change legislation.

But Graham declared Saturday that he was walking out of talks because of Democratic efforts to bring up an immigration reform package.

"Moving forward on immigration -- in this hurried, panicked manner -- is nothing more than a cynical political ploy," Graham wrote in a sharply-worded letter sent to business, religious and conservation leaders that he has been working with on the climate-change legislation.

A senior White House official told CNN that in recent days Graham has been privately threatening to abandon the climate talks unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, backed off plans to move to a debate on comprehensive immigration reform ahead of the environmental legislation.

Graham is the only leading Republican who has been working with the White House on the contentious climate-change issue.

After Graham's announcement, Kerry and Lieberman postponed the news conference but did not announce an alternate date.

They pledged to continue working on the issue and expressed hope Graham would again join them.

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Sandra Bullock will return her Razzie

(News Terupdate) - Sandra Bullock was recently asked to return the Razzie she picked up for her rather ignominious turn in "All About Steve."

Apparently, since the awards show coordinators didn't know she was going to show up in person to receive her award, they had to give her the original Razzie prototype instead of the cheap $5 knockoff "winners" usually get, and now they want it back.

What should have been a quiet little exchange turned into a minor frenzy over nothing much at all, thanks to tabloid press, but the issue may finally be put to rest now Bullock's rep has told E! News that the Oscar-winner will indeed be returning her less-than-honorary award.

"We were never contacted by them to return the Razzie," Bullock's publicist, Cheryl Maisel, told E!. "I contacted them yesterday to check the validity of the story and was only told then that we had been given the wrong award. We will be returning the Razzie to them shortly."

My question is: Isn't this the one award which you'd be more than happy for someone to rescind? Does this brief kerfuffle, out of the harsh glare of awards season and with a newly super-sympathetic Bullock, make you reconsider the choice of her as Razzies' Worst Actress? Any other candidates you think deserved it more?

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Heather Locklear charged in hit-and-run crash

Los Angeles, California (News Terupdate) - Actress Heather Locklear allegedly crashed her car into a street sign near her home last weekend and failed to report the early morning wreck, police said.

Locklear, 48, was ticketed for a misdemeanor hit-and-run offense, but her lawyer said it was not clear she was behind the wheel. A neighbor called police Saturday night to report being awakened by the sound of a crash 16 hours earlier in the golf club community near Thousand Oaks, California, a Ventura County Sheriff's captain said.

Security camera video showed a car registered to Locklear passing, but it did not show it hitting the street sign, he said. Debris found at the scene was enough to tie the accident to Locklear's car, he said.

"The matter is still being looked into as it is not yet clear who was driving the vehicle," said Blair Berk, Locklear's lawyer. She was given a citation, but not taken into custody, Berk said.

Locklear has a May 17 court date in Simi Valley, California. The actress was arrested in 2008 on a driving-under-the-influence charge, but the charge was later dropped when she pleaded guilty to reckless driving.

Locklear's recent acting includes a role in the updated version of the TV series "Melrose Place." She played Sammy Jo Dean Carrington in eight seasons of "Dynasty" starting in 1981.

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Cousins questioned in Haleigh search

(News Terupdate) - Acting on a lead, authorities were searching an area near Satsuma, Florida, for a second day Wednesday as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings.

"The Putnam County Sheriff's Office has started the second day of a search in the waterway and woods in the Satsuma area," sheriff's spokesman Lt. Johnny Greenwood said in a statement.

"This area is being searched as the result of one of the many leads received thus far in this case. It can be reported that as the result of yesterday's search, the status of this investigation has not changed."

The sheriff's office denied Wednesday afternoon that it has anyone in custody in connection with the investigation.

Deputies from four counties and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began searching the St. Johns River south of Satsuma on Tuesday morning, CNN affiliate WJXT-TV in Jacksonville reported. The search lasted until about 8 p.m. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials told the station nothing was found.

In addition, Sheriff Jeff Hardy told WJXT that he met with Haleigh's family earlier Tuesday but would not divulge what was discussed.

"We're going to continue this investigation until we can bring it to a logical conclusion," he said

Authorities said the purpose of the meeting was to update relatives on the status of the investigation and inform them of the search.

"Sheriff Hardy would like Haleigh Cummings' family, the citizens of Putnam County and the media to know, if and when any factual information is obtained in this case that will either explain what happened to Haleigh Cummings or identify who is responsible for her disappearance, he will make a formal release to the public," Greenwood said Wednesday.

Haleigh was 5 when she disappeared February 9, 2009, from the Satsuma mobile home where she lived with her father, Ronald Cummings, and his girlfriend at the time, Misty Croslin. Croslin later married Cummings, but the couple has since split.

Cummings called police and reported Haleigh missing when he returned from work at dawn.

Croslin told police she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. and went to sleep two hours later. She said she awoke at 3 a.m. to find Haleigh missing and a cinder block propping open a back door.

An attorney representing Joe Overstreet, Croslin's cousin, said Florida officials questioned his client Tuesday.

Overstreet is from Nashville, Tennessee, but was in the Satsuma area when Haleigh disappeared, said attorney Shawn Sigo. Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents flew into Nashville on Tuesday to question him, Sigo said.

Overstreet maintains he had nothing to do with Haleigh's disappearance, Sigo said, adding that he is "broken over this" and "knows he is being used by people whose story keeps changing."

Putnam County authorities said in August that "the evidence and investigatory effort has minimized the likelihood that Haleigh's disappearance is the work of a stranger." Police have said Cummings and Crystal Sheffield, the girl's mother, are not considered suspects.

Jail records show that Croslin was removed from the St. Johns County Jail, where she is being held on suspicion of drug trafficking, for a short time Tuesday, WJXT said. The sheriff told the station she was brought to Putnam County for an interview.

Investigators have said they believe Croslin "continues to hold important answers in the case" but has not provided "any sort of detailed accounting of the hours during the late evening and early morning of Haleigh's disappearance." Authorities have said physical evidence contradicts Croslin's account of the events that night.

However, police have stopped short of naming Croslin a suspect in the case. In televised interviews, Croslin has said she does not know what happened to Haleigh but believes "the other side of the family" knows where she is.

Croslin and Cummings were both arrested in January along with three others after allegedly selling about $3,900 worth of drugs to undercover officers, authorities said.

After their arrests, Greenwood said, "Even though these are totally separate, they are parallel cases, and there's no doubt in my mind these cases will cross someday. I hope that somewhere through this, the investigators in the Haleigh case will find the information they need."

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